The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-01-25

/ Carriage No 3, Hose Company No. l.,
/ Hook -and-Ladder Truck No. /, and
Steamer and Hose Carriage No 4, were
on the ground. Hose Company No. 1
was the first to arrive and went promptly
to work, and it is owing mainly to their
efforts that the fire was kept in bounds
until the arrival of the remainder Of the
department.
SECOND ALARM.
As soon As Chief Fuqua made his
appearance he deemed it eXpedient
to at once send in a second alarm,
knowing the nature of the con-
tents of the building to be such as
would be likely TO catch very easily and
create an immense confagration. Ac-
cordingly at 6l2, seven minutes after
the first alarm, the second was turned in
and again the air was resonant with the
peals Of the fre-bells. This brought out
the remainder of the department, con
ssting of Steamers l, ,, 5, and 6, and
Hook -and-Ladder Truck No. 2.
In the meantime the other apparatus
had been cotton to work, some little delay
being occasiOned by the scarcity Of water.
Several streams were cotton upon the
southeastern portion Of the cellar which
seemed to be the seat of the fire. This
part of the building is used as an oil
room, some four or five barrels of oil
being stored therein.
From this point the flames were in a
few minutes conducted TO the roof by the
elevator which was in close proximity TO
the burning oil After liberal use of
water for about three-Quarters of an hour
the flames were extinguished and the de
partment withdrawn.
TOO FREE WITH THE WATER.
And right here it should be said that it
does seem as if some of the hosemen
might at least exercise some little judy
ment and common sense in the manage
ment of streams.
At one time one of the companies,
without orders, were deliberately pouring
water upon the floor, about fifty feet
from the fire. What they accomplished
by so doing they were unable TO say.
They were promptly ordered away from
that point by the chief as soon as he saw
them.
just az soon as Steamer 3, and Hook
and Ladder Truck No. ! reached their
house, and while some Of the other APP
paratus was still on the way home, an
other alarm was sounded from the same
box. Once more the bells changed wildly,
and many citizens were under the i'm
preston that large portion Of the city
was in flames. For the second time that
morning Ninth street presented lively
appearance, as piece after piece of appa
ratus dashed down the hill at a break
neck speed This was at 100. As
/ before, the Tenth-street Hose Com
pany was the first on the scene
and in few seconds were hard at
work. One of the barrels of oil had
burst, and the parties on the ground had
deemed it necessary to call out the whole
| department, when, in fact, a phone mes
/ sage TO the Tenthstreet Hose Company
would have sufliced, as the flames were
extinguished by them before any of the
steamers could be gotten there Every
/ alarm that is responded to by the fire
department costs the city dearly in wear
and tear on the apparatus, and it is in
sisted land not for the first time) that
| judgment should be exercised in the
turning-in of alarms.
WITH HIS LIFE.
When the engines had left for the sec
ond time, two of the employees began an
/ investigation as to the cause of the fire
They entered the engine-room and found
that the fires had been started in the
boilers, and they also found the coat and
dinner-bucket of Isaac LecOst, the col
ored fireman, which showed that Lecost
had been there. From the engine room
they proceeded to the cellar, and after a
close search the fireman was found in a
narrow space between two piles of win
dow frames, lying at full length upon the
ground, face downwards, dead.
The origin of the fire was thus made
clear They were satisfied that Isaac,
after starting the fire in the boiler in the
morning, took a light and went down
/ into the cellar to get oil for the machinery,
and while in the oil-room he accidentally
set fire to the place, and before he could
reach the stairway the flames had spread
tO the elevator cutting off his retreat